By Anna Constantino It all started at the age of four in a dim-lit movie theater, as the imagination of an innocent child dreamt and wooed at the precious stallions on-screen. The film “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron” played, as Jackie Williams instantly felt a newfound passion for horses and riding. Sooner or later, her mother caved in to the excessive begging and hoping for riding lessons, and she hopped onto a horse for the first time. What she didn’t know then was that she would become a Year End Highpoint Champion by the time she hit high school. -READ MORE-

By: Delaney IveyPhoto By: usatoday.com If a normally sized Starbucks Frappuccino seems like an overindulgence, the Seattle-based brand may have introduced a solution to customers' sugary cravings--a 10-ounce portion of their popular blended beverage, known as as the "Mini". -READ MORE-

By: Delaney IveyPhoto By: chscourier.com It is hard being a teenager, stuck in a void between childhood and adulthood. We get the responsibilities that come with growing up—academic responsibility, financial responsibility, personal responsibility. But we cannot drive, vote, or drink until we are 16, 18, and 21, respectively. -READ MORE-

By: Kian Blake Photo By: nocoastbias.com Some might say the 2014-2015 NBA season is the best of the 2010’s so far, I agree. The season started off with the return of LeBron James to Cleveland the day before Halloween, since then we have seen the rise of the Atlanta Hawks, the fall of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and everything in between. It’s been a wild year, with the hyper-competitive western conference and the kind-of-competitive east. -READ MORE-

By: Cosi PearcePhoto By: artandwriting.org What are Scholastic Awards? Scholastic Art and Writing Awards are awarded to 7th through 12 graders who have a choice of submitting many different types of writing and artwork. This organization is one of the largest, mostly known for their recognition of creativity.-READ MORE-

By Max ReynaPhoto from: http://heathcaldwell.comThe zeniths and nadirs of civilizations are utterly fascinating to me. These are the periods of time when a society reaches its high water mark, and everything’s great, there’s an abundance of wealth and science and knowledge, and then, for some reason, the whole thing falls apart. Strangely enough, the low point seems to follow right on the high point’s heels. Take for example what happened when Marcus Aurelius (who, with his four predecessors, had presided over the golden age of Rome) died in 180 A.D. -READ MORE-

By Cosi Pearce Photo from: kpbs.orgAll schools within the Newport Mesa Unified School District are finally going green! More than 20 locations will install solar panels, including CdM. We are one of the first schools to get these installed aside from Estancia, Newport Harbor and Costa Mesa High School. -READ MORE-

By: Megan KaliliPhoto by: OCregister.comWhether it be supporting local farmers, spending more time outside, or benefiting from fresher food, Farmers Markets have created an amazing atmosphere for buying daily necessities. Not only do Farmers Markets sell fruits and veggies, but they often display local artists and sell hand-made clothing as well. The Irvine Farmers Market is a wonderful place for local OC residents can buy their groceries. Once located in the University Center shopping center, the Irvine Farmers Market moved to Mariners Church in December.-READ MORE-

The Bulletproof Coffee Diet

By Anna Constantino Photo From onnit.com Imagine waking up to your favorite coffee drink every morning, saturated with butter and rich tasty flavors. But this remarkable, mouth watering coffee creation is no ordinary beverage. Bulletproof Coffee is now becoming a popular worldwide trend, because of the immense health benefits that this drink is claimed to provide.-READ MORE-

By Delaney IveyPhoto by Elizabeth Greenberg Out with the old, in with the new. After touring up-to-date high school libraries and listening to the requests of parents and staff, the CdM Foundation has unanimously voted to begin remodeling our very own.-READ MORE-

CDM HAPPENINGS

Seniors Choose Their Colleges!

By: Nina Faridnia Craving some savory fish tacos? Stop by Bear Flag located in the Crystal Cove Shopping Center and get some. With love for the ocean and a desire to share outstanding fresh seafood, Thomas Carson founded Bear Flag in 2007. “Our mission here at Bear Flag s dedicated to providing its customers with a healthy, high quality dinning experience,” said Thomas Carson. -READ MORE-

By: Anna ConstantinoPhoto By: cdm.schoolloop.comIf you are in need of community service hours for your transcript, or if you have a desire to help your community, consider any of the following service projects for May 2015. -READ MORE-

Article by: Megan KaliliPhoto By: Yelp.comWith so many proclaimed French cafes in the OC, it is often hard to find some with authentic French food. Of course there is the famous Pain du Monde and Le Pain Quotidian, but chain restaurants can become very generic and boring. Here is a list of bakeries, cafes, and restaurants with real French food in Orange County... -READ MORE-

By: Anna ConstantinoPhoto by: www.newportbeach.surfrider.com Nowadays, we live in a society that doesn't think twice before tossing their empty soda cans on the ground, or throwing aside an empty chip bag, not thinking about the potential consequences of their actions. One may think, "this one wrapper won't affect anyone or anything", but that is where many are wrong. In the Los Angeles area alone, 10 metric tons of plastic fragments-like grocery bags, straws, and soda bottles-are carried into the Pacific Ocean every day (ecowatch). -READ MORE-

By: Delaney IveyPhoto By: http://www.womenon20s.org/ In 1920, women were given the right to vote. In 2020, another historic change may take place: replacing Andrew Jackson’s face on the $20 bill with the face of a female who was significant in history. -READ MORE-

By: Anna ConstantinoPhoto by: yelp.comWhether you are craving a delicious snack, or a fresh nutritious beverage, Sejuiced is the perfect place to indulge. Located on Coast Highway, Sejuiced Super-food Juice Bar recently opened, and is attracting people from health-food fanatics, to anyone looking for a quick bite to eat. -READ MORE-

By: Delaney Ivey A colorful addition has been added to the playground of Sonora Elementary school. Isaac Clark, an artistic freshman, transformed the school blacktop for his Eagle Scout project. On Saturday, March 7th, he and eighteen people from the CdM community joined together to paint a map of the United States on the worn-out asphalt. The previous week, Isaac and a few family members prepped the ground, sweeping, laying down tape for the borders, and blanketing the area with a background of blue. -READ MORE-

By: Max Reyna “No explanation, no mix of words or music or memories can touch that sense of knowing that you were there and alive in that corner of time in the world.”- Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.The Black Box Theater was bustling with people, dozens upon dozens of parents and students trying to get a seat. Many had to watch the event from outside, so crowded was the little theater. “This is the biggest turn out we’ve had in years,” said Mr. Jamora, conductor of Corona del Mar’s High School Jazz Band. -READ MORE-

By: Delaney IveyPhoto By: Laura HolkThe CdM gym erupted with triumph last night as varsity player Maria King sank a fourth consecutive and final free throw, bringing the score up several points as the remaining single-digit seconds ticked away on the clock. Girls basketball killed it in their CIF quarter final game last night, defeating Sonora High School 57-47 in an intense and aggressive match. -READ MORE-

By Delaney IveyPhoto from: radiopaedia.org In the medical world, sometimes two negatives make a positive. A miraculous clinical trial at Duke University may have the power to save thousands of patients' lives. Glioblastoma, a deadly brain tumor that takes the lives of 12,000 Americans each year, has a weak spot--a genetically engineered version of the polio virus. -READ MORE-

By: Kian “BASKETBALL NOSTRADAMUS” Blake Photo By: dailynexus.com If you read my last article on the NBA round one-playoff predictions, You would notice that every team I picked to advance was right. There are some doubters, they say I was just lucky, they say “watch you get every single one wrong this time”. And they would be wrong! Someone wipe this non-believer off of my predicting hands! NBA PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS ROUND TWO! -READ MORE-

By: Nina Faridnia So where do I begin? Oh yeah! So it is that time of year again where report cards are mailed home and we all know what that means. It means that our parents yell at us for our grades and even take our phones or car keys away. I know..lame. So the question is, “Why do they do that?” Well let me tell you why. -READ MORE-

By: Nina FaridniaPhoto By: adcouncil.org It all started in my English class when the teacher announced an assignment. She asked us to take a look at a Public Service Announcement (PSA): messages taking a stand and changing attitudes of the general public related on a certain issue. The PSA was focused on Bullying. Bullying is a huge issue that takes place in many schools worldwide and after watching the video shown in class, I was extremely astonished. -READ MORE-

Article and Photo By: Cameron WoodAround campus, one teacher sticks out as being sweet, helpful, and kind.Her name is Mrs. Hughes.However, she is no stranger to laying down the law with students.Her Spanish class is one of my most challenging yet useful classes, as although she is very kind and thoughtful, she requires all students to participate in class, complete their homework assignments, and dedicate time to really learn the language, and prepare for quizzes and tests. -READ MORE-

Sessions Sandwiches

By: Delaney IveyPhoto By: sessionssandwiches.comSometimes local food is the best food. Sessions, a west coast deli known for its sandwiches, is located on 28th street on the Newport Beach peninsula. The restaurant itself surpassed my expectations—the vibes and food were a fantastic combination, perfectly paired with the beachside location. -READ MORE-

CdM Sailing

By: Cameron WoodPhoto By: Dailypilot.com This weekend CDM sailing team will be going up to San Francisco for a varsity sailing regatta.Most people will be driving up their which can usually be a 7-8 hr. drive or take the easy route and takes an hour which takes a lot less of your time and it is less boring. -READ MORE-

Animal Cruelty in the Meat Industry

By: Kim RodasPhoto by: beslandia.comImagine being growing up covered up in other’s feces and only ever smelling theincapacitating scent leaving lungs burning and eyes stinging; hens stacked on top of each other,not being able to move: half because there is just no where to go and half because the feces hascaked and dried in between their feathers. -READ MORE-

By: Lea GoldstonePhoto By: www.ingee.comIn high school, feeling the sting and throbbing of headaches is a common occurrence.From not getting enough sleep to those nights of excessive homework, we struggle with those soul-destroying headaches.But what are the real origins of that nasty pain that nags at our brain for hours and hours? There are several medical reasons to our struggles and pains. Luckily, there are also many ways to get rid of them. -READ MORE-